Before I went to college, I heard a lot of negative stereotypes about Florida State University (FSU). I was told “Oh, that’s just a party school,” and “You won’t make any friends there unless you go out every night.”
Hearing these things completely warped my perception of what the school would be like. I was expecting to walk into a very laid-back environment surrounded by people I may not get along with. But once I finally got here, I learned that many things I heard had some truth to them but were completely exaggerated.
Although my experience may be different than others, here is my personal opinion on the most common FSU stereotypes and how accurate I think they are after attending this school for over a year.
1. FSU is just a party school.
I feel like this is mostly true. FSU students usually go clubbing at least once or twice a week, but most of them make sure to do all of their assignments and study for any exams before they go out. This is something that I did not expect because I thought the only way people would have time to go out is by ignoring their schoolwork. But many of them actually spend the entire day doing homework. Once they are finished, they reward themselves by going out with their friends.
I would also like to point out that one of the reasons people party so much is because there is not much else to do in Tallahassee. The city has some historical buildings you can tour, such as the Florida State Capitol. Besides that, your only other options to do something fun with friends are going to coffee shops or clubbing, and most people think going clubbing is much more exciting.
2. There is not much diversity.
This is unfortunately true. FSU does not have many minority or international students, and this is one of the first things I noticed when I got here. Most people who go here have lived in Florida their whole lives, and it is very rare to find someone who hasn’t.
However, there are many clubs you can join to meet other people of your ethnicity, such as the South Asian Student Association. Many cultural clubs on campus seem to be very active and have group chats where people become very close and form a tight bond with one another. So you will definitely be able to stay connected with your cultural roots.
Another thing I heard that falls under this stereotype is that FSU students are racist, stuck-up and rude. I personally have not experienced any racism here, but something worth noting is that a lot of white students only seem to be friends with other white students, which can be an issue.
As for the stuck-up and rude part, there are definitely students like that here. But I feel like you would find that at any school. I also noticed that there are so many different kinds of people here, and most of them are actually very friendly. Keep in mind that FSU has a very large student population, so you will find people that you will get along with. Because of that, I feel like this rumor is false.
3. The campus is beautiful.
This is partially true. The entire campus is made of brick structures and nothing else but that. There are also a bunch of beautiful trees scattered throughout the university, which definitely adds to the scenery. However, I personally feel like only Legacy Walk and the Landis Green area are truly beautiful since they have very unique, older-looking architectural styles to them.
The rest of the campus isn’t exactly ugly, but there isn’t anything special about it. It’s just the same brick buildings over and over again. It is pretty captivating when you see it for the first time, but it gets kind of boring after a while.
4. FSU has a lot of school spirit.
This is definitely true, and it is one of the things I love most about FSU. The main way people show their school pride is the same way every school does it, and that is by dressing in FSU merch and going to all the football games.
All the students are very proud of their university and enjoy going here. There is a sense of unity here, and that is something not every school has.
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